West Newsmagazine 11-7-18

32 I
November 7, 2018
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
R&R Ranch: A scenic sanctuary in Wildwood
By LISA RUSSELL
growing menagerie of miniature
horses and donkeys
– affectionately known as
“the minis” – which have
been rescued from abusive
and neglectful living
conditions in Missouri and
surrounding states. They
now number 17 in all.
Located off Wild Horse Creek Road just
east of its intersection with Hwy. 109 in
Wildwood is a large, white, absolutely stunning
home, designed in a unique Cape-Codmeets-classic-Southern
architectural style.
Connected by a picturesque arched bridge
to an equally gorgeous barn surrounded
by a large paddock, the fenced and gated
property is postcard-perfect. It looks as if
it belongs somewhere in the rolling hills of
Kentucky rather than in West County.
If you’re driving through the area for
the first time, the property’s sheer beauty
is enough to make you slow down for a
double take. But depending on the time of
day, you may actually hit the brakes when
you see more than a dozen miniature horses
grazing, resting and playing out front.
This wonderfully scenic property, called
R&R Ranch, is the realization of a dream
for longtime area residents David and
Stacy Rolfe and their three children. The
Rolfes have lived on the 30-acre property
since late 2015. They developed the land
and the buildings on it to meet a number of
specific goals.
“From day one we had a vision … we
wanted a house, a barn and a bridge connecting
the pieces together. We wanted it to feel
like it was in a very secluded country setting
even though we have this pretty major road
that runs along the front,” said Stacy.
The Rolfes selected veteran St. Louis area
builder Brett Hardesty to help them bring
that vision to life. Their other requirements
included an expansive freestanding garage
that houses David’s large vintage car collection,
a beautifully landscaped backyard
pool, and acres of trails weaved carefully
through the surrounding woods.
Of primary importance to Stacy and
her daughter Belle were the animals that
occupy the ranch’s barn, which was completed
in 2016: two full-size horses previously
owned by the family, along with a
Stacy Rolfe cuddles with Lucy, a miniature
horse raised by the Rolfes after her mother
rejected her at birth. [Stacy Rolfe photo]
A passion for rescue
A lifelong horse enthusiast, Stacy said
she got into adopting the minis a bit by
accident. Years before construction on
R&R Ranch began, she purchased her first
two, Sherman and Miss Mackenzie, on
Craigslist. She learned that, although they
were only 2 years old, she was their fourth
owner.
She said she quickly received a “crash
course” in miniature horse ownership.
That early experience opened her eyes to
the fact that many other minis were being
neglected or even abandoned by their
owners, and physically harmed by riders
The Rolfe family often posts banners on their corral fence from the “minis” to people passing by.
A view of the house and garage from the R&R Ranch entrance located on Wild Horse Creek Road.
[Stacy Rolfe photo]
too heavy for their small bodies. So she
began rescuing more, even though they all
had to be boarded off-site until the barn
was completed.
“These guys are so cute that everyone
says, ‘I want one,’ without realizing how
much work they are. They are all the work
of a regular-size horse and then some,”
Stacy explained. “Their digestive systems
are different, so their diet has to be different.
They tend to eat so much that they get
fat very easily, which causes a lot of health
problems.”
For example, Stacy said one of the little
horses, Chloe, had hooves that “looked
like elf shoes” when she was first rescued.
Chloe has Cushing’s Disease as well as
chronic laminitis – an inflammatory foot
condition – and is insulin-resistant. She
now wears special boots to protect her feet,
takes 32 pills a day and is fed a customized
diet.
“We wanted her because other people
don’t want horses with health issues,”
Stacy said.
Two of the minis, sisters Ella and Sophie,
came in already pregnant, which added
quickly to the growing “herd.” They and
several of the others were saved from
a lifetime of being hitched to pony ride
attractions.
One of those was Banks, an adorable
all-white horse standing just 30 inches tall,
[Stacy Rolfe photo]
rescued from terrible living conditions in
Arkansas.
“When we got Banks, it changed everything.
His feet were long, his teeth were in
terrible shape, and his hair had been mostly
chewed off by other horses … but we
could immediately see his sweet nature,”
Stacy said.
While many of the minis have started out
in mainly feral condition, unable to trust
humans or other horses and requiring many
months of slow, patient training, Banks
did not. After about six months of nursing
him back to health, Stacy started working
on getting Banks certified as a therapy
horse. He now serves as an “ambassador”
for R&R Ranch, which includes regular
visits to the Stonecrest of Wildwood senior
living community [see “A little visitor” in
Mature Focus on page 38].
Several of the rescued minis came to
R&R via Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, a
Humane Society facility for farm animals
located in Union, Missouri. Others have
come through word of mouth, when people
reach out after hearing about Stacy’s passion
for rescue and the outstanding care
she is able to provide for the minis.
A routine of kindness
Inside the elegant R&R barn, where the
minis live two to a stall, the meticulous
attention paid to every detail attests to the
loving care they receive.
A small pipe installed overhead releases
fly spray for 45 seconds, six times a
day. Although it wasn’t a building code
requirement, a large pipe spanning the
beamed ceiling houses a sprinkler system
for the horses’ safety. Cameras mounted
on the wall over every other stall allow
them to be checked on around the clock.
Large overhead fans and heated automatic
water bowls are other “creature comforts”
that these once-neglected animals now
enjoy.
The minis’ day starts at 5:30 each morning,
when their stalls are cleaned and they
receive their first hay. A few hours later,